The Fun American Horror Story Callback That Got Cut Out Of AHS: Cult's Finale

Last night brought the finale of American Horror Story: Cult, the whopping seventh season in Ryan Murphy's anthology series. Cult broke the mold for the property in some ways, as it lacked any supernatural events and featured only normal people harming each other by human means. It was also largely influenced by the 2016 Presidential Election, and therefore was obviously more political than any of its predecessors. Another way that Cult managed to stand out was by having far less crossovers and references than fans have grown accustomed to over the past few years. And while the finale gave us one more of these moments, it turns out that a reference to Hotel was originally intended to show up in "Great Again". Sarah Paulson recently revealed this, saying:

Adina walks by and I went to light my cigarette, and I see [Kai] and I don't end up getting it lit till he crosses me and gets in the van, but then I lit it. The only reason I'm saying it is I used matches from Hotel to light my cigarette. It said Hotel Cortez. We were playing a dicey game. The props guys were like, 'Should we? Can we?' I was like, 'I think we should fucking do that!' But if it's not in there, then it's not in there.

I don't know about you guys, but my FOMO is through the roof. American Horror Story fans are always eager for these crossover moments, so it's a bummer that the Hotel reference didn't get to be made. Alas, it looks like AHS isn't slowing down anytime soon, so the possibility for more references is certainly there.

Sarah Paulson's comments to EW show how the folks over at American Horror Story are always eager to have crossover moments and connective tissue in between seasons. Because the Hotel Cortez match book doesn't actually seem like it came from Ryan Murphy's wild mind. Instead, the props department came up with the idea, which shows what a collaborative environment AHS seems to be.

Overall, American Horror Story: Cult had probably the least amount of references to season in recent memory. Obviously Twisty the Clown from Freak Show was a presence, although they reduced him to a fictional character. Last night's finale also referenced Lana Winters, Sarah Paulson's reporter from Asylum that showed back up in the finale of Roanoke. But that's about it as far as crossover go, so the Hotel Cortez matchbox might have been a welcomed easter egg for the hardcore fandom.

Alas, we'll just have to wait until next fall to find out what other crossovers may occur in American Horror Story's eighth season. Rumors originally swirled that it would be a Murder House/Covencrossover season, but no confirmation has been made- and that'll likely stay that way for close to a year.

Can't get enough of Ryan Murphy? Be sure to tune into The Assassination of Gianni Versace on January 17, 2018 (the trailer is out now). In the meantime, check out our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the axe.